The election process is coordinated by the Victorian Electoral Commission, with additional information relating to boundaries, enrolment, election results and more available directly from the VEC website.
The Wellington Shire Council's last general election was held via postal ballot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The official election day listed was Saturday 24 October 2020, at which time all nine Councillor positions were decided for a four year term.
Following the 2015 Electoral Representation Review, the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) returned a recommendation that was later gazetted by the Minister for Local Government to alter the existing municipal structure from unsubdivided to a three ward structure, each with three Councillors. These wards have been named as Northern, Central and Coastal.
The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is responsible for administering Local Government elections.
To become a Wellington Shire Councillor you must be:
In addition, under the Local Government Act 2020, you must have also completed a Mandatory Candidate Training session which is available online through the Local Government Victoria website. This is a requirement of nomination and failure to complete the module may result in your nomination being declined.
Nominations for the 2020 Council general election opened at 9:00am on Thursday 17 September 2020 and closed at 12:00pm on Tuesday 22 September 2020.
Useful resources for Candidates are included on the links below, including how to safely campaign during COVID-19.
Local Government Victoria and the Victorian Electoral Commission require people to meet certain eligibility criteria in order to become a council election candidate. This includes undertaking a mandatory candidate training session which is a compulsory requirement for nomination.
There are also a number of optional training opportunities to help candidates better prepare for the election campaign process.
Stand For Council - Community and Candidate Information Sessions
Hosted by the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV), these online sessions will provide prospective candidates with information about:
Registrations have now closed.
Mandatory Candidate Training
Local Government Victoria (LGV) are providing mandatory online training for prospective candidates who wish to nominate as a candidate in the council elections. In accordance with the Local Government Act 2020, prospective candidates must complete this mandatory training to be eligible to nominate for the election with the Victorian Electoral Commission.
Accessing the training
You can register for and access the training directly from the LGV website or you can click here to head straight through to the registration page.
How long will the training take?
The training should take approximately one hour to complete.
What you'll need handy to start
To register, you will need:
As this training is mandatory, there may be a time in the future when LGV or VEC may ask you to verify that you did complete it. To do this, you will be asked to provide the number of your driver's licence or passport. If you do not have a driver's licence or passport you can still complete the training. Please contact Local Government Victoria, during business hours, on (09) 9948 8592 or via email LGAct@delwp.vic.gov.au.
You will also need access to an email account. When you register, LGV will send a unique link to access the training. If you are unable to finish the training in one session, your progress will be saved and you will be able to resume your training via the link.
I've finished the training, now what?
On completion of the training, LGV will send confirmation that you have completed the course. You will also be provided with the information you need relating to the completion of the training for you to present when you commence your nomination with the VEC.
The purpose of the Election Period Policy is to outline the conduct of Council during the Caretaker Period for municipal general elections.
It ensures the election is conducted in an environment that is open and fair to all candidates by setting out procedures and practices to be followed during the pre-election period.
During the 2020 Council general elections, the election period will start at 12:00pm on Tuesday 22 September 2020 and finish at 6:00pm on Saturday 24 October 2020.
The Election Campaign Donation Returns document is available for download on the link below and provides details of any gifts received by the candidate, or on behalf of the candidate.
This is during the election period, used for or in connection with the election campaign and includes goods or services.